Aiden's Shinies
by McGonagall's Bola
Summary: A lot of confused souls remained trapped under Grandview; time to set them finally free.


Jolting upright and panting, Melinda noticed the other side of the bed abandoned. Jim had thus already left for early shift. She turned her gaze slowly aside to the clock on her night table and sighed, finding that she must have missed him only just. Whenever he had an early shift, he would leave at four-fifteen, waking at four and showering and dressing in fast pace before leaving. He really could get ready in just a quarter of an hour time – something she had never been able to do unless maybe as a child or so. It became four-thirty-eight as she watched and she sighed again, moving her hands over her eyes. She couldn't recall a single thing from the nightmare, but she knew it had been one if the way in which her own sweat stuck her nightdress to her skin was any indication. As she gently lowered her hands and thought of checking on Aiden before getting back to bed, Melinda gasped in surprise at the ghost by the window sill, in which her tired gaze fell. She really should be used to them showing up whenever they wanted by now, but still.

"Bedford," she said, recognizing the ghost right away. After all, she had somehow known him alive, too. She wondered how long he had been there, whether he had been the one to induce her nightmare or not or whether he had shown up when she had already woken. She would bet her money on the first option. "What are you doing here? I thought you had left and maybe gone to see your mother in the light! You can move on, without having to be afraid – nothing's keeping you here anymore. The Shadows are gone, I assure you," she said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and looking at him in true confusion.

"I know," he said. "They haven't left me alone for many years. I do feel the difference very well."

"Then what's still keeping you here?"

"There are many lost souls trapped under Grandview who would be willing to go into the light and see their loved ones again once reassured no one is going to hurt them anymore. They need to know there really is something like forgiveness. Most of them are just afraid of the great unknown, of no one waiting for them wherever you tell them to go."

"They don't exactly like me there at all," she replied.

"Not you, but maybe your son," Bedford replied, his fidgety and nervous behavior taking over again. Oh yes, the Shadows had damaged him for life… and beyond. "He can prove them what happens after the light is real. He can make them see that loved ones are there. This is very important, Melinda! They've been scared for so very long!"

Melinda quietly lifted her hand to her head. "I'm not taking Aiden there," she said. "I've gotten killed there once almost." He continued to eye her in a way that said no matter what she contributed now, it wouldn't make him change his mind. The worst was that deep inside, she knew this as well, that what he was saying was right. She had thought about it, but it had only been four days since those Shadows had taken over her own body… Melinda had wanted to get back to herself, like when Aiden had been missing. "Okay," she said, eventually. "I suspect it can wait until morning at least? My son is sleeping and so was I until you disturbed me."

"Tomorrow," Bedford said.

"Tomorrow," Melinda said reluctantly, letting her hand fall away and looking at him directly. She really doubted it as she wondered aloud, "Do you really believe I can save them all?" She sighed as he left without answering her question – she hated the fact that they could all appear and disappear from view whenever they wanted all the time. She sat down on the edge of the bed and knew that Bedford was right in every fiber of her being. She knew Aiden would be able to do what she couldn't, but still, she didn't like the thought of what Bedford was asking. Maybe she should talk it through with Eli first and ask his opinion. This was about her son after all. She couldn't stop him from doing what he could, but she could at least try to keep him safe otherwise and not throw him right into it with potential danger attached.

The door gently creaked. "Mummy, who were you just talking to? A ghost?"

Melinda's heart raced in her chest as she looked from the hole they had just passed, up to Ned and Jim and then down at her son. She sank down through her legs until she was at his level, looking into Aiden's hazel eyes and searching his face for any insecurities, any fears, but he seemed to be less afraid than she was. He was a tough little guy. "Are you sure that you want to do this, baby?" Melinda asked.

Unsurprisingly, Aiden nodded eagerly once more.

"It isn't too late to turn back now, little feller," Jim said. Of course, Melinda's reasoning made 'sense', but he had not changed his mind on going with. This was their son after all. So when Melinda had shown up at the hospital after dropping off Aiden and while underway to Eli to ask him for advice, telling him of what had happened and what Bedford had asked from her, from Aiden… his mind had been set, and he had said he was okay with her asking Eli for advice, but that he didn't want her to do anything until he was off from work. He would stop by the store after.

There they were then, the four of them down in the depths under the store, under Grandview, while Delia and Eli, who had made it clear in not so uncertain wordings that he wasn't interested in an overload of voices of which he couldn't see the origin in any way. Ned had opted to go down as well instead, despite Delia having tried to convince him she didn't like him going down there.

"I'm sure, Daddy," Aiden said and moved to walk ahead. He failed to see his mother and father share a fleeting look between them – one of worry over their only son and the still partially unknown that was right ahead. Melinda inhaled deeply, shining her flashlight in the direction of the route before them and holding onto her son's hand just that bit tighter as Jim and Ned followed, creating more light by their respective large flashlights.

Neither of them was really able to tell how long they were walking underneath Grandview, all sense of time having escaped them, until suddenly Aiden stopped, a girl a bit older and taller brightly appearing before him all of a sudden. He could tell that she was a Shiny at once, and so he smiled at her. "Hello!"

Melinda looked over her shoulder at Jim in alarm and slowly sank down to Aiden's level again. "Who do you see, baby? A Shiny?" she wondered.

"Hello," the girl replied him in a soft tone. It didn't sound sad but nor particularly happy. "Are you coming here to tell my mommy she has to go into the light? I've waited for her so long, but she can't see me, I believe, because she doesn't answer when I say something either." Aiden watched on as she turned her gaze to his mother, eying her in wonder. He could see the question in her eyes.

"She can't see you either," Aiden said. "Mummy and I are coming to help find your mommy and free the other souls, so they can go into the light as well. Then they can be with the ones they love. Mummy says that's where they belong and that there's happiness there and Cassidy says so as well, but that many souls are scared, because they don't know what will happen. My name is Aiden. What's yours?"

The girl redirected her gaze at him again and politely answered his question. "My name is Rachael. I might have met a certain Cassidy, and she may have mentioned you…"

"That's okay," Aiden said, and then he turned to his mother with a wide smile. "Yes! She says her name is Rachael!"

"GO AWAY! Haven't you been warned enough then?"

This time, Melinda could see the ghost as well, gasping at his appearance. She might have seen the ghost before… She stood, reaching for her son and feeling Jim and Ned drawing closer to her even if they couldn't see the surprise ghost. It still was a great reassurance, though. "Do you mean having been warned for the Shadows? If so, they're gone – for good. They can not hurt anyone anymore. They can't stop you anymore from going where you belong and where loved ones await you."

"And how the hell would you even know that they await me? Can you tell me for sure and prove it?"

"I can!" Aiden interrupted. Regardless of how intimidating the ghost was, Aiden didn't really appear frightened in any way. He looked rather curious, in fact. "Rachael is asking about her mother," Aiden said, never taking his eyes off of the ghost before them. "She says that her name is Merriam and that she died two years ago from a heart attack at the hospital."

The ghost's features seemed to soften, and Melinda spoke again. "Do you know of a woman whose name is Merriam here?" she wondered, given that was the first thing she thought as she saw the ghost's expression change over what Aiden said, undoubtedly based on what Rachael had told him just now. Melinda watched the ghost nod, and she could tell he hadn't expected Aiden to have said just that.

"This is not possible!" he exclaimed. "How can he know all this unless he's talked to Merriam herself?"

"That or to Merriam's daughter, maybe?" Melinda tried, then asked, "Is there any way we can find Merriam? She might really want to know her daughter is here and want to reconsider going into the light to be with her there when she knows. I'm thinking that her daughter would be very happy to see her as well."

"Rachael?" a disbelieving female voice suddenly spoke from behind Melinda, followed by the appearance of a woman in her early forties who looked like she had once been a very beautiful woman but had long wasted away. Melinda quietly suspected the death of her daughter might have a lot to do with that, though. She turned to Aiden as he turned to her and nodded. No words needed to be said.

"Rachael was really sad that you couldn't see her. She said that when she died, her nana waited for her and that they waited for you there together, but that you never came."

The three adults and the other ghost, Aiden and Rachael watched the expression on Merriam's face closely while it rapidly switched from disbelief and anger to confusion and sadness, then disbelief and confusion again. "_They_ said that once you go into the light, you're lost… that you've got to pay for all the sins you have ever committed in your life and that no one is waiting, but that loved ones are gone forever."

"That's right," the unknown male ghost spoke. "So why should we believe you?"

"Why shouldn't you now?" Melinda spoke. "Give me a good reason why we would lie to any of you about that. We wouldn't even get anything from misleading you."

"Rachael says there is nothing bad there," Aiden said, directing himself solely to Merriam now. He failed to see more ghosts having joined them, likely having heard a part of the ongoing conversation and having been curious. Melinda did notice them ahead, though. "She says that it is really beautiful, and that you can see everyone again, almost like when they still were alive. Rachael's nana still calls her cookie monster!"

Merriam gasped, moving her hand over her mouth to suppress shock and shaking her head in disbelief. "You couldn't have known that unless…" A flare of hope flashed in her eyes and then they suddenly grew wide as she saw a glow of lightning though faint and her daughter, glowing in the same light – after all, Rachael was a Shiny now.

Aiden smiled, watching as Rachael stepped over to her mother, somehow sensing that this time, if she just tried hard enough, her mom would be able to see her. He watched as she gently touched her mother's hand, and she squeezed in return. He held onto his own mommy as they hugged each other for the first time in years again. "I told you so!" he said.

"It does exist after all!" Merriam exclaimed at no one In particular, but she looked upon the male ghost beside her with meaningful eyes. "How did I never see this until now? It is so beautiful!"

"You were ambushed from the beginning, I suspect," Melinda tried to reason with it. "You tried to find safety and ended here. Everyone was so afraid of those Shadows and believed whatever they told you, that you never questioned it all being true. You were just glad enough to be safe from them."

"Can you see it?" Merriam questioned, directing her question at Melinda in particular.

"No, we can't. We all will one day, but it is only for those who are ready to let go of this world and see all their loved ones again." The skeptical male ghost turned his head right in the direction of where Melinda supposed the light was, and Melinda smiled wide. She had seen that look before on so many a ghost's faces. "Do you see it, too?" she asked.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "I see my wife who died in '96, and she looks just like that day she died on our wedding anniversary!"

"You should go into the light!" Aiden said, having noticed the other ghosts as well now. "Your families will be there as well. Won't they be, mommy?" he asked, looking at his mother with excited hazel eyes, and Melinda reminded herself of how blessed she was with him in her life. She just nodded in response, tears stinging in her eyes at how Bedford had been only right. She wondered where he was right now, if this was what he had wanted. If not, she doubted there was anything more she could do, watching as the same look of initial surprise and then disbelief came over so many ghost faces, followed by smiles wider than ever. She smiled as Aiden waved at someone invisible and suspected that he had said goodbye to Rachael for now. It always had something emotional, seeing this. Individually, they disappeared to be with their respective long lost families. Very few looked back.

"I miss the taste of coffee in the morning."

Melinda turned to him with her glass of orange juice in hand, a smile on her face. She was about to go to bed after having lessened her thirst. "Hello, Carl," she greeted. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that one."

"I know…" he admitted grudgingly to her.

She smiled wider for a second there. "Have you accidentally seen Bedford?"

"Oh, yes," Carl replied, nodding slowly. "He was very glad to see his mother again." A bout of silence overtook for a moment, until he looked at her with his blue eyes. She knew that he was going to say what he had come to say to begin with. There was always something to say when he appeared there like that. "You are not the only one with your _talent_. However, you are the only one the Shadows ever feared, and I believe that there is a reason for that. You do… good, Melinda. I reckon you are meant to do what you do, too. Do I believe you can save them all? No. Like you can't save everyone when alive either. People make bad choices sometimes, but many be brought on the good path again, too. Sometimes it takes until after death for that to happen." He winked at her fleetingly, then disappearing, leaving the long story of how they had met and what exactly had happened between them.

Ghost-free for the time being, she smiled. "Good night, Carl."


End file.
